OUR BLOG

Outdoor living without the pests

If you’ve got an outdoor living area – whether it is a patio, pergola or verandah – you’ll be itching to get into it after what has been for much of Australia a cold winter and a mild Spring. Unfortunately, Spring has also been quite wet, which means that many areas are experiencing large numbers of mosquitoes. So how do you stop your outdoor living area becoming an all-you-can-eat-zone for mosquitoes and other pests?

Here are Outside Concepts top tips for keeping pests out of your outdoor living area:

We may be biased, but our number one way of keeping pests out of patios, pergolas or verandahs is by installing café blinds. Well-designed and fitted café blinds will keep most pests out of your outdoor living area, so you can enjoy it all to yourself. Plus, café blinds will also keep the hot sun, rain and wind out of your outdoor living area. Contact Outside Concepts for a free design and quote on café blinds.

If you’re a bit of a green thumb, there are plants you can pop into the garden surrounding your outdoor living area that will help repel mosquitoes. Grasses, herbs and shrubs such as Citronella Grass, Catmint, Rosemary, Basil, Lavender and Scented Geraniums are widely recommended. You’ll have the added bonus of some beautiful fragrances in your garden.

Standing water around your home makes a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. So, tip out any water that’s accumulated in any containers. If you have a water pond or water feature, keep the water circulating as regularly as possible, remove rotting vegetation, keep fish in the water or use a commercially available pesticide.

Citronella products – such as candles, torches and coils – can also help repel mosquitoes. The range of these products is quite limited, so to be effective you will need a few of them to cover the average outdoor area.

Electric bug zappers and insect sprays are other options, but remember that you’ll most likely kill just as many good insects as you will mosquitoes and other pesky pests.

Another commonsense, old-fashioned approach is to slip on some lightweight long clothes and use insect repellent on exposed skin. It won’t keep insects out of your outdoor living area, but you won’t get bitten and you will haveagoodweekend!

Looking for a solution to your outdoor lifestyle? Call us now for a free quote on 1800 601 674.